Studies with lucid dreaming as add-on therapy to Gestalt therapy

Adding lucid dreaming training to Gestalt therapy reduces nightmare frequency more quickly and to a greater extent than Gestalt therapy alone. Thirty-two people who had nightmares at least twice a week were randomly assigned to ten weeks of either Gestalt therapy alone or Gestalt therapy plus lucid dreaming instruction. Both groups reported significantly fewer nightmares after treatment and at a three-month follow-up. Only the group receiving Gestalt therapy alone showed a significant drop in dream recall frequency. Sleep quality improved significantly for both groups at follow-up, but only the lucid dreaming group showed significant improvement immediately after therapy ended.

Study at a glance

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present exploratory clinical study was to evaluate LD as an add-on therapy for treating nightmares. METHODS: Thirty-two subjects having nightmares (ICD-10: F51.5) at least twice a week participated. Subjects were randomly assigned to group: A) Gestalt therapy group (= GTG), or B) Gestalt and lucid dreaming group therapy (= LDG). Each group lasted ten weeks. Participants kept a sleep/dream diary over the treatment. Examinations with respect to nightmare frequency and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were carried out at the beginning, after five and ten weeks and at a follow-up three months later. RESULTS: Concerning nightmare frequency, a significant reduction was found in both groups after the ten-week-study and at the follow-up (Wilcoxon test: P ≤ 0.05). Significant reduction in dream recall frequency could only be observed in the GTG (Wilcoxon test: P ≤ 0.05). For subjects having succeeded in learning lucid dreaming, reduction was sooner and higher. Sleep quality improved for both groups at the follow-up (P ≤ 0.05, Wilcoxon test). Only the LDG showed significant improvement at the end of therapy (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: Lucid dreaming, in combination with Gestalt therapy, is a potent technique to reduce nightmare frequency and improve the subjective quality of sleep.